Cake

I had heard very little about this film before finally seeing it this month. What I had heard consisted of small rumblings of disappointment that Aniston had not received proper recognition for her role and efforts in Cake. Directed by Daniel Barnz and written by Patrick Tobin, Cake explores the life of Claire, a woman whose life was shocked and shattered by a car crash that killed her son and resulted in Claire having chronic pain. With intense themes such as suicide discussed from the outset, it was clear that this film was going to be a tough watch. After befriending a deceased woman's husband through her chronic pain support group, Claire attempts to deal with her loss and the pain that accompanies her day in and day out.

I thoroughly enjoyed the element of surprise with this film. Considering I hadn't done much research into the film or its cast, it was great having the opportunity to watch a film with no previous expectations. The first surprise came with the casting of Anna Kendrick. Although she's well on her way to forging a name for herself in both Hollywood and Independent film, I'm always a little surprised when she's cast in anything. Perhaps I don't quite trust her ability to be as diverse as she has actually shown herself to be, or maybe I've just not warmed up to seeing her face everywhere just yet! The second and perhaps most poignant surprise was the candid way in which the film speaks about suicide and addiction. Whilst these are not uncommon themes in cinema, they can often be treated poorly. Over exaggeration or the equally as disappointing under representation of suicide, drug use and grief can ruin an otherwise good film. Cake deals responsibly with this subject matter and attempts to root the problems in realism. The film is unapologetic and allows it's character to explore all emotions that come with addiction and death. I enjoyed the inclusion of the support group as a core catalyst of the action within the film and almost with Barnz and Tobin had delved further into the world of group support.

Aniston fantastically portrayed struggling Claire. Never one to shy away from Indie projects, she shines in this dark role - a happy break from her Rom-Com persona. Although having been nominated for a Golden Globe among a few other minor awards, Aniston failed to break through with this film. Her only win's being at two lesser known film festivals and an award from People Magazine - a publication that earns millions berating and humiliating the actress. Personally, this film held more wait that Oscar favourite Still Alice and I'm disappointed that one excelled above the other. I am definitely excited for Aniston to continue in a serious direction and expect great things as she gets older. Particularly if Aniston commits herself in the same way she has done for Cake.

The one critique I have for this film is the overuse of hallucinations. Whilst this may sound contradictory in comparison to my previous comments regarding the honest way that the film deals with prescription drug abuse, I feel that the constant appearance of Kendrick throughout the film felt forced. Almost as if to give the actress more of a role within a film that didn't have room. I understand the side effects associated with such drug use but quickly the appearance of Claire's visions became more concerned with providing plot turning points opposed to the representation of a drug users hallucinations. This aspect could have quickly spoiled the film but I felt inclined to keep focused due to the other elements that didn't fall as flat. 

I would recommend watching this film with a little time on your hands. It deserves a conscious and engaged viewer. Overall I enjoyed Cake and can now understand the backlash regarding Aniston's snub during awards season.